Canadian Defense Minister Arrives in Kyiv

Canada’s Defense Minister Anita Anand arrived in Kyiv on Sunday, January 30, offering support for Ukraine in its standoff with Russia even as her own government announced the withdrawal of non-essential staff from Canada’s embassy in the country. Anand said she would visit with Canadian forces stationed in Ukraine, deployed under a support mission Operation UNIFIER. On January 26, the Canadian government announced a raft of security assistance that includes an extension and expansion of the operation. On Sunday, Anand visited a memorial for victims of the 1930s famine known as the Holodomor, which claimed the lives of millions of Ukrainians, and is widely viewed as a product of Soviet policies. She also paid her respects at a wall of remembrance for victims of the conflict in eastern Ukraine involving Russian-backed forces. This footage, released by Ukrainian Military TV, shows Anand arriving in Kyiv on Sunday and meeting with Ukrainian officials. Credit: Ukrainian Military TV via Storyful Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au